Mount Laurel Nursing Student On Front Lines Of Coronavirus Fight

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — When she was a teenager taking her grandmother to the hospital for routine heart surgery, Nicole Pacitti never could have imagined she would someday be on the front lines of the battle against new coronavirus. That’s exactly where the Rowan College at Burlington County student recently found herself.

In late March, she and several colleagues completed training to staff the call center at the Burlington County Health Services building, according to the college. The students determine whether callers are eligible for coronavirus testing by asking questions about symptoms, pre-existing medical conditions and living situation.

“It was really difficult when Coronavirus first began to spread here. We were all wondering how we can help, and we initially felt stuck. When we were asked to staff the call center, it was a no-brainer, and we thought of course we’re going to contribute,” said Pacitti, of Mount Laurel. “Being on the front lines of a pandemic is definitely not something I was expecting to experience during nursing school. I knew it would be an unforgettable few years, but this truly tops the list of unexpected events, to say the least.”

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She said she’s more concerned about her older family members than herself right now, but she finds solace in the knowledge that there is an end in sight.

“The one thing that keeps me sane is knowing that this will eventually end,” Pacitti said. “It’s been a weird balancing act with school, work and everything else, but it’s also given me an opportunity to work on projects I never had time for before.”

Pacitti said she fields around 50-100 calls per day at the call center. She said that there are many people who still don’t have a realistic understanding of what’s going on, so it feels good to offer them comfort while also educating them.

“Seeing all the good that people are doing right now has really inspired me and has solidified the fact that this is what I really want to do,” Pacitti said.

It was the visit with her grandmother to the hospital that made Pacitti realize nursing was the career for her in the first place. That routine procedure turned into an open-heart, double bypass surgery, according to the college.

“When the nurse came in to explain everything to us, I told her that I wanted to know everything in detail, complete with all the medical terminology. After she sat with me for 10-15 minutes, I knew that was what I wanted to do,” Pacitti said.

Her grandmother had the surgery and recovered. Pacitti went off to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She transferred to Rowan College at Burlington County to be closer to home.

She enrolled in the college’s 3+1 nursing program, and is now a junior. With the coronavirus pandemic taking hold of the country, Pacitti still isn’t able to see the family members she loves. She is helping the public, though.

Still, the first thing Pacitti plans on doing once it's safe to resume human interaction is to visit her grandmother, and give her a big hug.

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